


Remembering

by DarkHorseAsh



Series: Neurodiverse/Mentally Ill Critical Role Oneshots [3]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dreams, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sort of happy at least.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 01:18:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18713575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkHorseAsh/pseuds/DarkHorseAsh
Summary: Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the Third has spent a long time trying not to remember them, trying not to burden his People with the memories of what happened to the rest of his family.  But what happens when he hears their names again, for the first time in a very long time?  What happens when someone won't let him suffer alone?





	Remembering

**Author's Note:**

> I'm slowly working my way through Campaign 1 for the first time (I'm INCREDIBLY spoiled on it) and I was watching episode 14 today and I saw Percy's reaction to the Briarwoods being named and my brain sort of had the idea that this was like, the first time Percy had even really truly thought about them beside just thinking about revenge in a long time and then my brain was like "Hey, Vex and Percy's rooms in Greyskull Keep are across the hall from each other" and then This happened. I hope it's not complete garbage.

She isn’t sure what wakes her.  It’s early, the moon still high in the sky.  It’s not her own nightmares, which is a relief, because she comes awake quickly but not panicked.  She scans the room intensely, eyes settling on Trinket curled up on a rug, head on his paws. He’s relaxed, which means that no one had tried to get  _ in  _ the room or hurt them.  She stands, padding slowly to the door and glancing out into the hall.  It’s empty, and for a moment, she considers just going back to bed and getting more sleep.  She’s  _ exhausted,  _ it’s been less than 2 days since they got out of the Underdark, and she needs  _ sleep.  _

 

As she turns back to her room, Vex swears she hears something once again.  She sighs, stomping fully out into the hallway and glancing around. Her instincts drive her first to her brother’s door and she peaks in, relieved to see that he seems to be sleeping peacefully.  She takes a few steps back towards her room when, from across the hall, she hears what she’d swear sounds like a cry of pain.  _ Percy.   _

 

She throws the door open a bit faster than she probably  _ needs  _ to, elven eyes scanning the dark room intently.  They land on the figure in the bed in the corner, recognizable white hair letting her know instantly who it was.  She scanned the room again, blinking when her eyes found no danger. Finally, she let her gaze settle on Percy, and bit back a noise of horror.  The human was pressed into the corner of the room and his bed, long arms wrapped tightly around his knees. He was clearly shaking and, as she threw the door open, he made a fearful noise and buried his head into his legs.

 

She reached the bed in seconds, slowly reaching out a hand.  “Percy, darling, are you alright?” He howls into the hand that is clamped over his mouth and flinches back, and Vex freezes.  She’s seen him, and all of her  **family** at their worst, and she knows it.  She’s seen them exhausted and half dead.  She’s seen them waking up from night terrors screaming.  She’s seen them in the midst of panic attacks in a city where danger could be around every corner.  But this was  _ Percy,  _ who had never allowed himself to show her a real ounce fear, who she’d never even really seen cry for more than a moment.  Now, he was  _ cowering  _ away from her hand, letting out choked whimpers that were mixed with apologies and what sounded like begging that she couldn’t quite hear. 

 

“Percival, darling, it’s me, Vex’ahlia.  I’m not going to hurt you, love. It’s alright.”  He’s shaking his head, curling his knees even closer to his chest as he whimpers frantically “I’m sorry I’m sorry please no more.”  Vex blinks around the room before freezing and cursing her own stupidity. She’s across the room in seconds, lighting a candle on the table that sends dim light across the room.  “Look at me, Percy. You’re safe. We’re at Greyskull Keep. Our home, remember? You’re not wherever you think you are; no one is going to hurt you.” Percy whines, shivering desperately, and she gives up on speaking.

 

He doesn’t cry out when she grabs his hands and tugs him to her, and she’s not sure that’s a good thing.  Percy is shaking so hard she almost loses her grip but he’s not even trying to fight her hold, just gasping out “I don’t know anything I don’t please stop I’m sorry.”  He’s bigger than she is, bigger than Vax is, which makes it harder for her to maneuver him, but she manages. He blinks sluggishly at her, and she can  _ see  _ his mind trying to understand as she tucks him into her side and he chokes out, “V-vex?”  

 

She nods, and she can see the moment it clicks.  She can also see the moment that Percy roughly forces the nobleman’s facade back up over his features, has seen her brother do the same with his own mask far too many times to be fooled. “I...you can go back to your room I am fine now.  Thank you for being concerned.” He’s every bit the nobleman, except for the tremor in his voice, the way he can’t quite stop his hands from shaking as he pulls away.  She moves with him, standing to face him in the center of the room even as he stubbornly refuses to really look at her.

 

“I am fine.”  She snorts, raising a hand to touch it to his jaw, and he flinches sharply away.  “Percival too-many-fucking-name de Rolo the Third, I thought you knew better. I am not leaving you alone when you’re clearly not fine.  I’ve seen my brother, and myself, and the rest of our family, after too many night terrors to possibly believe that you should be alone, darling.”  She brushes her hand over his cheek and he still flinches away, something fragile on his face. “I’m fine.” he doesn’t even sound like he believes it anymore.  

 

“Percival.”  He ducks his head down like a child who’s being scolded and she can’t help but want to hide him away.  “Darling, I know you haven’t been alright since the meeting. You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong if you don’t want to.  I won’t ever ask unless it somehow directly endangers or involves our family. Just...let me help?” He looks at her and she must look genuine because something in his eyes breaks,  the mask drops, and he begins to sob.

 

She doesn’t know if she’s happy or heartbroken that he listened as she gently nudges him to the bed.  “Cmon, darling, I’ve got you, you’re alright.” She pulls him into her lap as best she can, uncaring about the fact that he’s bigger than she can reasonably fit.  He curls small enough that it works, face buried into her neck as he sobs frantically. This at least she knows how to do. She’s lost count of how many nights since their childhood she’s held Vax like this or, more recently, Keyleth or Pike.  There had even been a night, after Clarota turned on them, that Scanlan had ended up curled up in her lap. 

 

She thinks the sun is starting to rise by the time Percy falls quiet in her grip. The exhaustion is written across his face as he somewhat unconsciously curls closer, face buried into her shoulder.  She holds him tight, runs a hand through his hair a few times, and closes her eyes. 

 

She wakes up with a sore neck and Percy stirring against her side.  He blinks, and something between embarrassment and fear flickers over his face.  He opens his mouth to speak, to apologize or to make an excuse or to flee, probably, but she cuts him off before he gets a sound out.  “I’m not going to ask, darling. I said I wouldn’t and I won’t. It’s alright.” He stands and offers a hand to pull her up, giving a small, tired smile.  “Thank you.” She dips her head, returning the smile. “Anytime, darling.” He moves towards the door, hand on the knob, and she speaks again before he can quite get out.  “We’re all here for you, darling. We’re always here for you if you need us.” Percy flushes, something complex that she doesn’t understand in his eyes as he nods and ducks out the door, leaving her alone with her thoughts and an empty bedroom.  


End file.
